It’s time to clean up the bramble patch: In order to maintain healthy and productive blackberries and raspberries, we need to prune out the old to make room for the new.
Most brambles are biennial, which means they fruit on second-year growth.
Blackberries are easy to deal with, just remove the arching canes that fruited this year and trim up and trellis the new growth from this summer, which will bear next summer’s fruit. Repeat the same thing next year.

Omega chapter of Beta Sigma Phi had a candle lit ceremony initiating Cheryl Case and Kay Cox into pledge membership on Nov. 4 at the home of Betty Kay McCullough. The ideals of life, learning, and friendship were read from the Ritual book of Beta Sigma Phi. After six months of pledge training, the two pledges will become full members, after a Ritual of Jewels ceremony to be held in the spring.
Following the opening ritual, roll call was answered by sharing each member’s favorite Thanksgiving dish. Not one person said that it was turkey.

Samuel Alan Ross was born to Jimmy and Susan (Rainey) Ross of Austin, Texas on Aug. 29, 2013. He weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz.
Maternal grandparents are Joyce and Darryl Rainey of Cynthiana; maternal great-grandparents are Margie Rainey, Hildreth and Appie Platt and the late Sam Rainey.
Paternal grandparents are Gary and Bertha Ross of Cynthiana; paternal great-grandparents are Ophelia Ross, the late Marvin Ross, and the late Carlos and Bonna Geoghegan.

Grace Lynn Knipper was born to Heather and Derrick Knipper of Cynthiana on Oct. 21, 2013 at Harrison Memorial Hospital. She weighed 6 lbs. 14 oz.
Maternal grandparents are Jeff and Shirley Carson of Cynthiana; maternal great-grandparents are the late Peggy and Charlie Carson.
Paternal grandparents are Donna Webb of Cynthiana and the late Kathleen Knipper; paternal great-grandparents are Janet and Pete Cline and Carolyn and Johnny Brooks.

10 years ago . . .
Births announced this week are: Clayton Lee and Connor Earl Price, Oct. 27, twin sons of Eileen and Heath Price.
Concerns, ideas hashed for development of Handy Farm. The city and county governments jointly purchased the 120-acre Oddville Avenue farm at a cost of $660,000. A committee of community leaders and concerned citizens has been meeting to discuss the community’s recreational wants and needs and how the farm would be best developed.
• Reelfoot Lake on the southwest border of Kentucky was formed in 1811 by an earthquake.

By Benita Peoples, Co. ext. agent
Physical activity, flexibility and meditation allow a person to maintain good health and function and to release stress and tension. On Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. the Harrison County Cooperative Extension Service, 668 New Lair Road, will hold a learning session called “The Mind-Body Connection.”